Goodbye Raichu
by Raichu
Summary: Ash and Pikachu find a Raichu that gets caught in a trap. Will they be able to rescue it on time? Don't peek ahead.
1. Ash

_This was the first story I wrote set in the Pokémon world. It was about a Raichu, along with Ash and most of the gang, but set a few years in the future._

_I endeavoured to follow the style of the cartoon, so some of the dialogue might be a bit simplistic. However, the suspense builds up later on in, so it's worth persevering._

_Here's the first chapter. You can wait for each chapter as I post it or go to my web site (home.iprimus.com.au/vpolitis/raichu/) to peek ahead._

**Goodbye, Raichu**

**Chapter One -- Ash**

"Bye, Mom! I'm bored," announced Ash. "I'm going for a walk." 

"What about your chores, dear?" reminded Mrs Ketchum. 

"I'll do them later," he replied, walking out the door. 

Ash Ketchum was sixteen years old, sturdy, of average height, with messy, thick black hair. He was on the handsome side of ordinary, but that was for the girls to decide, if he ever got around to noticing them. He spent most of his time catching and training Pokémon. 

Pokémon were creatures that, along with people, inhabited the world. Most of them roamed wild, but they could usually be caught and trained. Pokémon had amazing powers and could be trained to fight matches. Every year Pokémon League competitions were held around the world where Pokémon trainers could send their Pokémon to battle one another. Over the years, Ash had entered a number of competitions and had done very well. 

As Ash walked out the door, his favourite Pokémon, Pikachu, ran after him, took a bound, and landed on the back of Ash's head. 

"Pika, pika!" he cried excitedly, eager to go for a walk with his master. Pikachu was an electric mouse Pokémon, Ash's first, which was given to him when he was ten years old. Ash and Pikachu were inseperable, a perfect team, who knew each other so intimately that Pikachu's limited vocabulary was hardly ever a barrier to communication. They had fought so many battles together and had so many adventures, that they couldn't even recount them all. Ash couldn't conceive of what it would be like without Pikachu by his side. 

Ash strolled along the tree-lined street. After a minute or two, Ash saw someone he knew. 

"Hey, Gary! Do you want a Pokémon match?" 

"Nah! I haven't got time," replied Gary, sounding completely disinterested in Ash. "I'm going out with my girlfriend to see the Pokéball Circus." 

"What!? They've come to Pallet Town? Gary, everyone knows how badly they treat their Pokémon." 

"What do you know, Ash Ketchum," taunted Gary. "I'll have to admit you're not such a loser after all when it comes to Pokémon, but you're a real loser when it comes to girls." 

Ash didn't bother replying. He thought to himself, "So that's all he cares about--impressing his girlfriend. Why do I still bother talking to that guy." 

Ash and Gary seemed to get along when they were young, but that was a long time ago now. Ever since Gary and Ash started catching Pokémon, Gary showed himself to be conceited and full of rivalry, putting Ash down at every opportunity. Ash's temper was strained often enough with his jibes. 

A while later, Ash noticed another familiar face. 

"Hi Timmy, you're back!" 

Tim, a short, dark-haired boy, was a relative newcomer to Pallet Town. His family moved there about two years ago when Tim's father got a job as an assistant to Professor Oak, a world-renowned Pokémon researcher. [Author's note: Timmy and his Meowth appeared in _The Purr-fect Hero_.] 

"Hi Ash. Call me Tim, won't you," Tim replied. 

"I see your Meowth's evolved. How was your Pokémon journey?" 

A Meowth was a cat Pokémon who "adopted" Timmy when he was still in preschool. When Tim turned ten, he and Meowth started on their Pokémon journey to catch new Pokémon and learn how to train them, just as Ash had done six years earlier. 

"Yeah, he evolved into Persian when we got our fourth badge. Oh Ash, you should've been there!" 

"Can I see your badges?" 

"Sure," replied Tim, and showed Ash six shiny badges that he won while battling in various Pokémon gyms around the land. "I've just got two to go, and I can join the Pokémon League, just like you did." 

"Good luck!" 

"Thanks. Hey, do you want to battle?" 

"Sure," said Ash, who could never refuse a challenge. 

"OK! How about my favourite Pokémon versus yours?" 

"OK. Go Pikachu!" 

"All right, Persian," called Tim to his own inseperable companion. "Pounce." [Author's note: _Pounce_ is not an attack that is authorized by the Pokémon League. However, since it is used on the Persian Pokémon card, I felt the liberty to use it in this story.] 

Persian's sleek, swift body sprung into action. It leapt into the air, and landed on the mark, slamming its small opponent down. "Oh, no!" thought Ash to himself, who had a tendency to rush into things. "I should've thought it was cat versus mouse." 

Tim's voice broke Ash's thoughts. 

"Persian, Scratch!" he called. 

Ash collected his thoughts. "Pikachu, quick, Thunderbolt!" 

Persian raised his paw, taking aim, getting ready to strike. But Pikachu's body was already enveloped in a yellow glow, sparks spitting out of his cheeks, priming himself for attack. Persian's paw had scarcely moved, when, at lightning speed, a bolt of electricity shot from Pikachu's body and shocked the feline, mid-strike. 

"Right, Pikachu, use Agility." 

The cutest among Pokémon was also among the quickest, and Pikachu sped towards Persian, then around him, and back the other way, confusing his opponent. Persian found himself unable to aim at such a speedy foe. 

In the midst of the battle, Ash heard someone comment, "That Pikachu's still pretty quick for its age." 

Another voice spoke: "Ash is a good trainer. He keeps his Pokémon fit and healthy." 

That last voice was Professor Oak's. Ash realized that an audience had gathered. 

"Pikachu, Quick Attack!" cried Ash. 

"Persian, retreat," ordered Tim. Persian obediently jumped back, causing Pikachu to miss his mark. "Right, now that Pikachu's tired out," continued Tim, "do another Pounce!" 

Persian repeated his first attack, slammed the creature that was less than a quarter his weight, leaving him stunned and close to fainting. 

"Pikachu, Thunderbolt!" called Ash, but Pikachu didn't respond. 

"OK, Persian, do a Slash attack." Tim now definitely had the upper hand. 

Ash immediately realized that he had run out of time for an electric attack. "Pikachu, block the attack with your tail!" 

Persian's paw, nails extended, descended at such speed that its motion was impossible to perceive. Instinctively, Pikachu's tail arched over to protect his body, and... 

"Eek!" The little creature gave a painful cry and then fell silent. 

"Wow, I've won!" yelled Tim jubilantly to the sound of applause from the onlookers. "Ash, did I really beat you!?" 

"You sure did," Ash replied. During his travels, Ash eventually learnt how to lose graciously. He knew now that there was no shame in losing when one did one's best. Ash received his own badges from those better than him who had lost matches to him in sportsmanship and fair play. 

"Sorry, I don't have any badges to give you though," Ash continued, and they both laughed at the joke. 

"Your Persian's coming along real fine, Timmy," said Professor Oak. "Better let it rest for a while," he advised. 

"Sure," replied Tim, still elated. 

"And I've been speaking to your father, Tim. You've been home for two days and he's hardly seen you. Why don't you go and tell him that I said he can have an early mark, and the two of you spend some time together." 

"Wow, thanks Professor! Bye Ash," said Tim as he rushed towards Professor Oak's estate. 

"I better get Pikachu home to rest too, Professor Oak," said Ash. "Bye now." 

"See you later, Ash." 

Ash hurried off home carrying his Pokémon in his arms. He noticed that his tail was hurt by that last attack, and didn't want Professor Oak to notice. Of course, Professor Oak's laboratory had better facilities than a home first aid cabinet, but Ash was embarrassed to let the Professor see that he let his Pokémon get hurt like that. Professor Oak entrusted Pikachu to Ash in the first place, after all. The only other place where sick or injured Pokémon could be treated was a Pokémon Centre, but there weren't any in an out of the way place like Pallet Town. 

(-o-)

When Ash got home, his mother mentioned that Misty had phoned while he was out, and asked if he could call back. 

"Was it urgent, Mom? I've really got to fix Pikachu's tail." 

"No, I don't think -- oh my, the poor thing. Ash, how do those poor creatures put up with all that fighting?" 

It's OK, Mom. They don't usually get hurt like this. They enjoy competing and trying to win. Don't you Pikachu." 

"Pikachu," nodded Pikachu weakly in assent. 

Misty was a friend of Ash's who had gone with him on many of his journeys. Misty was a couple of years older than Ash, about Ash's height, slim but strong, with a round, pretty face. She had flowing red hair which she habitually tied in a lopsided ponytail. 

When they first met, Ash had borrowed Misty's bicycle to race an injured Pikachu to a Pokémon Centre. However, Ash ruined her bicycle in the process, and Misty started following him to try and get him to pay her back. It wasn't long, though, before they became close friends. Misty lived in Cerulean City, where she was the Pokémon Gym leader. 

Shortly after dinner, Misty rang again on the videophone. Ash answered the call. 

"Hi Misty, sory I didn't get back to you. I got sidetracked with some chores." 

"It's OK, Ash. I've got some news, and I'd like your help." 

"What's up?" asked Ash. 

"Well you know how two of my sisters got married and moved away? Now Daisy's just had a job offer from the Viridian City Gym." 

"Wow! I heard that they're expanding to include gym leaders for all the different Pokémon types." 

"That's right," said Misty, "and they've offered Daisy the water gym. The trouble is, I'll be left looking after Cerulean all by myself. Don't forget we also do entertainment, so it's a lot of work. But it pays enough to have someone else." 

Ash's mom thought this sounded interesting enough to listen in. 

"Hi Misty," she announced with her usual pleasant smile. Videophone etiquette dictated that someone joining a conversation introduce themselves with a greeting. 

"Hi, Mrs Ketchum," replied Misty politely, "how are you?" 

"I'm well thanks, Misty," answered Mrs Ketchum. 

"Anyway, how can I help," asked Ash. "I don't know anyone who wants to help in a gym." 

"Well, that doesn't matter so much," said Misty. "I was wondering if you'd like to do it," she announced. "At least part time." 

Ash was stunned. "You're offering me ... a job!?" 

Mrs Ketchum thought she noticed a glisten in Misty's eyes, and her voice had a restrained eagerness about it. She thought to herself that Misty was doing a good job at hiding something. Mrs Ketchum decided that she better not let her son mess up this opportunity, as she knew he rarely had the forethought to think about his future. 

"That sounds like an interesting opportunity, Ash," she commented. 

"Me, a gym leader!" thought aloud. Memories raced through his head: all the gym battles he lost, all those he won, and how wonderful it felt to receive a badge. And then, he imagined how happy and proud it would have made him if he could've really offered Tim a badge, and teach him what he knew about Pokémon. 

"Uh, sure Misty!" he finally said. "I'd love to do it." 

"That's great, Ash. When do you think you can come over and we can talk about it some more?" 

"I suppose I can come tomorrow. Is that OK with you, Mom?" 

"That's fine," answered his mother happily. "Goodnight, Misty." 

"G'night, Misty," echoed Ash. 

"Goodnight Ash, Mrs Ketchum." 

_© Raichu (raichufan2001@yahoo.com.au) 2002_


	2. Onix

_Here's the next chapter. This one's a bit more exciting. I hope you like it._

**Goodbye, Raichu**

**Chapter Two -- Onix**

Ash set out early next morning for Cerulean City. It took several hours to walk there from Pallet, but Ash and Pikachu were used to it. Ash decided to walk through the fields and woods so as to avoid the main road via Viridian. That would be full of young trainers asking for battles, and Ash had neither the heart to refuse, nor really the time to spare if he wanted to be at his destination in reasonable time. 

Suddenly, in a grassy field along the way, the ground started to shake. Leaves shook, flying Pokémon squawked, and they heard a terrifying low-pitched rumble. 

"Earthquake!" yelled Ash, feeling the hair on his neck bristle from fear. 

"Pikachu!" echoed Pikachu, squealing in fright. 

Then, unexpectedly, from behind a hill advanced a huge segmented serpent, hard as rock, causing the ground to vibrate as it slid along. 

"No, it's an Onix! But where's it going?" 

The Onix swung its enourmous tail against a tree, shaking it to its roots. A wild Spearow flew out of the branches and looked very angry. It flew back and forth around the Onix's head to show its displeasure. The Onix swung its head to and fro trying to knock the bird down and getting angrier for failing. 

Giving up in frustration, the Onix diverted its anger to a Sandshrew that was trying to escape the commotion. It started to chase the small Pokémon. The Sandshrew quickly burrowed into the soft earth, but the Onix dived under it, burrowing deepeer. The Onix's head suddenly burst out of the ground, scattering soil, stones and a stunned little Sandshrew. 

Ash watched and wondered why an Onix would be on such a rampage. While Onix were tough opponents in battle, people and other Pokémon normally had little to fear so long as they stayed out of these giants' way. 

Then Ash's attention turned to the Sandshrew. It was likely to get hurt, unless Ash could somehow divert the Onix's attention. He had an idea. He pulled out a small red and white ball and threw it. The ball, while in mid-air, hinged open in half, and out of it materialized a purplish blue turtle-shaped figure. The device was a Poké Ball, used by trainers to capture and store Pokémon. 

"Go, Wartortle!" cried Ash. "Do a water gun on that Onix." 

Wartortle obediently opened his mouth, took aim, and sent forth a spurt of water directly at the huge stone serpent. Ash's scheme worked, but perhaps a little too well. The Onix turned its atention away from the Sandshrew, but would it now attack _them_? 

"Quick," called Ash, "behind this rock. Perhaps it won't realize who did it." 

The rumbling resumed, coming closer. Ash looked around. Most of the field was open, but there were woods to their left. At least it might provide some cover. 

"Everyone, let's run into the trees." 

They all dashed as one into the woods without looking back, but they could feel the rumbling behind them. Ash, Pikachu and Wartortle hid behind a bush and hoped for the best. 

Ash thought hard. How could he defeat an Onix? It's a Pokémon, after all. He defeated Brock's Onix once before, a long time ago, to get his first badge. But Pikachu had been supercharged for the event; now he was still recovering from yesterday's battle. 

He could use Wartortle's water gun to make Pikachu's electric attack more conductive, but would it be enough for such a tough monster? 

The vibration grew stronger, the rumbling louder, branches splintered, trees crashed, flying Pokémon squawked and ground Pokémon squealed. The Beedrill tried to attack the rampaging monster, but it poisonous barbs made scarcely a dent on the giant's hard, rocky surface. 

The Onix's tail swished, another tree fell, another hiding Pokémon was revealed and squealed in fright. A Raichu! Raichu were electric Pokémon that evolved from Pikachu by the use of a Thunderstone. They weren't as common as Pikachu, but one encountered them from time to time. 

However, the Onix's attention was focused on Wartortle. It swung its huge head left and right, looking where to attack. 

Seeing the Raichu, Ash's experienced mind quickly formulated a plan. It was their only hope, and it had to work first time. 

"Pikachu," whispered Ash, "can you get that Raichu to help us? Tell it to attack with you when I give the word." 

Pikachu nodded to indicate he understood. "Pikachu, pikachu, chuu!" he called out to the Raichu. 

"Chuu!" called the Raichu in reply. 

Pikachu looked Ash confidently in the face, to let him know that the Raichu agreed. 

Pikachu's voice also let the Onix know where are the group were hiding. It swung around towards them, and advanced. As it approached, it pushed a tree, knocking it over towards Ash and his Pokémon. Pikachu jumped to the right, and Ash ran away to the left, Wartortle behind him. That Wartortle was trapped by a falling branch, and couldn't get free. 

"Wartortle," called Ash, "can you still reach it with your water gun?" 

"Tortle!" nodded Wartortle. 

"Okay!" yelled Ash, "Wartortle, Pikachu, Raichu, go!" 

Wartortle opened his mouth, and a powerful torrent of water issued forth, drenching the huge stone serpent. Simultaneously, Pikachu strained with all his might and a shot out a fearful blast of lightning. A moment later, a blast twice as powerful came from the Raichu from the far side of the Onix. 

The Onix was ablaze with light, sparks and flashes bouncing back and forth all over its length. Ash's hair bristled from the electric charge. The Onix rose high into the air, arched its back, and gave a frightening roar. The Pokémon continued their attack, giving it their all as long as they could, until, their energy spent, they ran out of the creature's away as fast as they could. 

The Onix fainted. It's huge body wavered for a moment in mid-air, then went limp. In seconds it would crash. 

Ash's stomach turned in fear for Wartortle, trapped under the branch. He quickly took out Wartortle's Poké Ball and aimed it at his friend. The Onix came tumbling down, crashing through trees and splintering branches, directly towards the trapped Pokémon. 

The ground shook, wild Pokémon screeched, branches crashed to the earth below. A rush of wind and debris knocked Ash of his feet making drop the Poké Ball from his hand. But it had done its job. Wartortle had dematerialized and entered his Poké Ball not a moment too soon. 

"Pika!" And Ash heard his companion's cry. Was he hurt? Ash got to his feet, ran around the unconscious Onix, looking for his Pikachu. 

"Pika, pika." He sounded all right this time. Ash found him, saw him look a right mess, and laughed. After the stress of last few minutes Pikachu was a comical site, with a Pidgey nest dangling from one ear and broken egg all over his face. 

"I'm glad you're OK, Pikachu. Well, we did it." 

Pikachu nodded to Ash, then shaking his head briskly, he got off what mess he called. He turned to look for Raichu. 

"Chuu!" called Pikachu. 

"Chuu!" answered the Raichu. Being a wild Pokémon, it would not be likely to approach Ash without good reason. So Pikachu hopped off by himself to acquaint himself with his new-found ally. 

"I wonder where that Onix came from," Ash asked himself, "and why it was acting so crazy?" He surveyed the awesome hulk, scratching his head. 

A short distance away, Pikachu and the Raichu were busy chattering, getting to know each other. Pikachu was trying to clean the egg of his face with his paw, when Raichu started helping by licking it off. 

"Boy, they're getting chummy," thought Ash. 

Ash heard a voice behind him, and turned around to see the Onix dematerializing. Behind where it lay were standing a group of people in unusual costumes. An elderly man in old-fashioned clothing was standing in front holding a Poké Ball in his hand. 

"Do you know why my Onix is in this condition?" asked the man when he noticed Ash. 

"I knocked it out," replied Ash innocently. 

"Now how did you manage that?" said the man, while the others started muttering to themselves in amazement. 

"Is that your Onix?" asked Ash. "It was on a rampage and attack us." 

"We're from the Pokéball Circus," said one of the others. "Our Onix escaped." 

Ash put two and two together. "And why did it escape?" demanded Ash indignantly. "You were mistreating it, weren't you?" 

"Well now that's none of your business," and said the third man angrily. He was tall, well built, with a hard face. 

"Hold on, now," said the older man calmly. "Calm down, Brent. And what right have you, young man, to question us? As a matter of fact, I was about to offer you a lift back to Pallet Town, if that's where you're going." 

Ash realized that the elderly man wasn't as bad as he had presumed. Perhaps all the gossip wasn't completely true after all. 

"Oh," said Ash meekly. "Well... sorry about that. Actually, I was on my way to Cerulean Gym, but my Wartortle got hurt fighting your Onix, so I really have to take it to a Pokémon Centre." 

"Cerulean Gym, you say. You don't happen to know the Cerulean sisters, now, do you?" 

"Well, yeah, actually, Misty's a friend of mine." 

The elderly man gave orders to the rest of the troop. "Everyone, returned to the circus, please, and prepare for the midday show. I'll take Onix and this young man to the Viridian Pokémon Centre." 

"Thanks, Mister uh...," said Ash. 

"The names Mr Monmaster, young man. Actually, that's my stage name. My real name is Mr Grey." As he led Ash to his vehicle, he asked, "And who might you be?" 

"I'm Ash," replied Ash. Ash called Pikachu, and noticed that the Raichu had left. Ash guessed that it must have been scared of the people, and had gone to hide. 

Pikachu arrived in response to his master's call, and the three drove off. 

"Now tell me, Ash, what makes you think that Onix was mistreated?" 

"Well, actually, the word's been going around Pallet Town that you guys don't treat your Pokémon very well. And Onix was on a rampage, and your friend said that he escaped." 

"Hmm... so our reputation precedes us," remarked Mr Grey. "You know, there are two sides to every story, Ash. Pokémon fighting in the Pokémon League often suffer too. But when they succeed in what they were trained to do, and they hear the audience cheer and applaud, they realize that it was all worth it. It's just the same in the circus." 

"I never thought of that way before," admitted Ash. 

"Now sometimes we make mistakes. We set our goals to high and push our Pokémon too hard. A good circus trainer needs to be sensitive, just like a good trainer in the Pokémon League. But mistakes do happen. I gather you've been in the Pokémon League. Is that right, Ash?" 

"Well, yeah. How did you know?" 

"From what you did to my Onix, I thought you must be a pretty good trainer. And tell me, Ash, haven't you ever made mistakes with your Pokémon?" 

Ash looked embarrassed. 

Mr Grey changed the subject: "By the way, you say you know the Cerulean sisters?" 

"Misty and I have been friends for ages." 

"I've been meaning to meet them and learn about water Pokémon. I'd like to add some more variety in my acts." 

"I guess I can try and arrange something," said Ash. 

"Thank you, Ash. That would be greatly appreciated. And I hope your Wartortle is all right. We're nearly there." 

_© Raichu (raichufan2001@yahoo.com.au) 2002_


	3. The Trap

**Goodbye, Raichu**

**Chapter Three -- The Trap**

"Hi Misty!" said Ash on the videophone. 

"Oh, hi Ash," answered Misty. "Where are you? I thought you are on the way here." 

"I'm at the Pokémon Centre at Viridian. Something happened on the way." Ash went on to explain the morning's events. "So it looks like Wartortle has to stay here the rest of the day. I might as well stay here overnight. I'll hang around until Mr Grey comes back in the morning and see how his Onix is doing." 

"OK, Ash. How's Pikachu?" 

"He didn't get hurt, but he's been kind of gloomy. I can't figure it out." 

"Hmm... I don't know, Ash. Well, see you tomorrow," finished Misty. 

"Bye." 

Ash hang up. Misty sounded kind of disappointed. "I guess she's eager to get things sorted out," he reasoned to himself. "I wonder what's eating Pikachu." 

For once, Pikachu seemed to have no way of letting Ash know how he felt. It was as if something outside their common experience was involved, so the Pokémon had no way of letting his master know what was wrong. 

"Maybe you're hungry," suggested Ash. "After this morning, I feel like I could out-eat a Snorlax. Let's go get something to eat." 

Pikachu jumped up on to Ash's back, but his head hung low. They went and got themselves lunch, a Pikachu could only manage a few bites. 

"Well, whatever's wrong, I hope you get over it soon," said Ash caringly. "I can't bear to see you unhappy." Pikachu looked up at Ash, and soaked in the sympathy. He appeared to be comforted, at least for a while. 

(-o-)

The next morning, Ash was about to leave the Pokémon Centre, when Misty walked in the door, panting. 

"Huh!? Misty?" exclaimed Ash. 

"I came over by bus," explained Misty. "I'm taking the day off, so I thought I'd catch you before you left. We can go back to Cerulean together." 

"Well you only just made it. Mr Grey just left with his Onix, and I was about to leave." 

Misty noticed straight away how Pikachu wasn't his usual self. Normally, he would have run over excitedly to greet her, but this time he only looked at her absently. 

"Hi Pikachu," she said gently as she approached. Misty had a lot of compassion and sensitivity when it came to Pokémon. "What's the matter?" she asked, crouching down to Pikachu's level. 

Pikachu looked Misty, and uttered an almost sighing "chuu". Misty couldn't tell for sure, but she felt a connection with Ash's Pokémon she had never felt before, as if some experience he had somehow coincided with some experience of her own. Misty almost felt as if she understood, but couldn't quite put words to the feeling. 

Her thoughts were broken when a policewoman entered the Pokémon Centre to put a sign up on a noticeboard. She made an announcement: 

"Attention everybody! Excuse me nurse, I hope you don't mind but we need some help from the public. I just put up a sign showing faces of what we believe to be Pokémon poachers. Anyone seeing any of them should contact the police immediately. Thank you for your co-operation." She briefly thanked the nurse on duty and then went off. 

Misty and Ash went to look at the pictures. 

"Hey, I think I recognise one of these guys," remarked Ash. "Now where have I seen him?" 

"Maybe Pikachu will have some idea," suggested Misty. "He goes practically everywhere to do." 

"Good idea. Pikachu," called Ash, "come here and look at this picture." 

Pikachu came over and looked thoughtfully. All of a sudden, his eyes lit up and his mood improved noticeably. 

"Pika, pika," he called, waving his arms. 

"Now where was Pikachu last his usual cheerful self," Ash questioned himself. "It was in the woods yesterday." 

"I think I remember," said Ash aloud. "He looks like one of those guys from the Pokéball circus. But I can't be sure." 

"OK. Let's go tell the police, Ash," said Misty. 

"Yeah, but I'm not sure. I have an idea, Misty. Mr Grey wanted to meet you to talk about water Pokémon. How about we go and visit him. We can have a look around, and if we see that guy, we'll call the police from my place." 

"I don't know, Ash." 

"Well, I promised Mr Grey I'd try to arrange you to meet him anyway." 

"All right then," said Misty, still unsure but nevertheless resigned. 

(-o-)

Ash, Misty and Pikachu followed the road from Viridian City to Pallet Town. It was not particularly far, and the familiarity of it seemed to make the time pass quickly. 

"You know," mentioned Ash, "I've been thinking about you and me." 

"About us?" Misty's eyes opened wide. 

"Well, kind of. Am I the right person you need for Cerulean Gym? I mean, I don't know as much as Daisy does about water Pokémon." 

"Oh, is that what you mean." Misty's eyes fell. 

"Don't be sad, Misty. If you really want me, I'll be glad to help. I could sure use some money, anyway." 

Misty forced a smile. "Well Ash, there's more to Pokémon training than specializing in one type. You're one of the best trainers I known, Ash, and I'm sure you'll make a fine gym leader too." 

Ash was pleased at the compliment, and felt satisfied. 

As they walked past a hill, Ash noticed that the countryside had been disturbed. 

"Hey Misty!" announced Ash, "this must be where that Onix attacked us yesterday. We were on the other side of that hill." 

Pikachu recognized the place too. "Pikachu!" he shouted excitedly, stretching his arm out and pointing. 

"What, you want to go and have a look again?" asked Ash. "I'd rather forget!" 

"Kachu!" Pikachu really sounded urgent. He looked with a worried face towards the hill, then towards Ash, as if trying to figure out how to convince his master to let him go. 

"Looks like Pikachu really want to go," said Misty. 

"Yeah, but we've got to check this poacher out." 

"Ash, we might be able to find out what's been upsetting Pikachu. Isn't that important too?" 

"I guess you're right," admitted Ash. "Okay, Pikachu, lead the way." 

Taking full liberty of his master's word of approval, Pikachu bolted ahead of them and around the hill. 

"Hey, hold on," yelled Ash, "wait for us!" 

There was nothing for Ash and Misty to do but to run after the racing Pokémon. 

As they raced around the hill, they could see Pikachu across the field running into the woods. They ran after him, but they had to stop and rest when they reached the trees. 

"We'll never find him in here, Ash," said Misty, trying to get her breath back. 

"What's gotten into that guy?" 

"Ash, we better be careful. There are Beedrill in these woods." 

"We'll just have to move slowly and quietly." 

The two moved carefully, straining their eyes for any sign of Pikachu. A few minutes later they heard his voice. 

"Pika, pika!" Pikachu sounded in trouble. 

They followed his voice through the trees. Finally they saw him coming towards them. 

"Pika, pika!" he said again, sounding urgent and worried. 

Pikachu motioned his friends to follow him. They continued behind the worried Pokémon, and encountered a box about a metre high, coloured in shades of brown and green as if to offer some camouflage among the trees. They walked around, and, to their gasp and surprise, they saw a Raichu trapped inside. Given Pikachu's behaviour, and considering that Raichu were not all that common, it must have been the same Raichu that Ash saw the day before. 

As soon as the Raichu noticed the humans, it hunched its shoulders, narrowed its eyes and started spitting sparks from its yellow cheeks. Ash and Misty ran for cover as they heard a "Chuu!" amongst crackles of electricity. But to their surprise, they felt nothing. 

"Pikachu! Pikachu!" cried the yellow Pikachu as he waved his arms, trying to calm his friend down, as if to say that the humans were there to help. 

"It must be an insulated cage," said Ash. "I didn't feel a thing when it Thundershocked us." 

"Look at the size of that cage," said Misty. "You know, I think that this is a trap specially designed to catch Raichu." 

"It must've been those poachers," said Ash. 

"But how would they know there was one here?" wondered of Misty. 

"Hey, maybe that circus guy saw it when they were looking for their Onix. Yeah, it all fits in! He's the poacher and he must have come back and set a trap." 

"That means he'll be back to collect it," Misty pointed out. 

"Can we free it? I can't seem to find a way to open it." 

Ash and Misty looked all around the cage. 

I don't know Ash. There's nothing here that looks like a switch or lock or something." 

"I bet you need an electronic device, like a remote control," deduced Ash. 

Pikachu looked really upset and worried. "Pi," he said sadly, his ears drooping. Ash and Misty turned to him. 

"You really like this Raichu, don't you Pikachu?" said Misty. 

Pikachu nodded forlornly. 

Ash squatted next to his Pokémon "Don't worry, Pikachu," he encouraged. "We'll get it out." Then, under his breath, "somehow." 

"Pika!" Pikachu pricked his ears. 

Ash and Misty heard a vehicle approaching. 

"Quick," said Misty, "let's hide." 

Pikachu looked uncertain. 

"Come on, Pikachu!" called Ash. 

Pikachu was still unsure. Should he stay to help his new friend, or obey Ash? 

"Pikachu, they might be dangerous," insisted Ash. "Come and hide." 

Pikachu decided to trust his master. He jumped onto Ash's shoulders, and they hid behind a bush. 

"Raichu!" called the Raichu, not understanding why Pikachu left. 

The poachers approached, slowly wheeling a small utility truck around the trees. They stopped in front of the trap. As Ash and his companions looked on, they saw two men come out, but their backs were turned to them. 

"Looks like a beauty," said one of the men. "It's a full-grown female." 

"Cut the chatter. Hurry up and load the cage," said the other man coldly. 

The two men worked silently, loading and securing the cage onto the back of the utility. They ignored the Raichu's helpless cries and her useless electric blasts. She tried to slam the cage with her strong tail, but to no avail. 

As the men got into the cabin, Ash saw their faces. 

"Yes!" he whispered, "That's him. Let's follow them." 

"And how do you expect to chase a truck, Ash Ketchum?" whispered Misty in reply. 

"Oh. Well then, let's go to the circus, see if we can figure out what they're going to do with her." 

"Ash, reproved Misty, "I think you better call the police." 

"If we call the police, they might catch them before we find out what they've done with Raichu. Then Pikachu might never see her again." 

Misty didn't know what to say or how to argue. They walked silently the rest of the way. 


	4. The Circus

_In this chapter, Ash does a bit of investigating. He makes a plan on how to find and rescue the Raichu. Please let me know what you think._

**Goodbye, Raichu**

**Chapter Four -- The Circus**

Ash and Misty arrived at the outskirts of Pallet Town. Pallet Park was not far away, and they could make out the huge red and white hemispherical dome of the Pokéball Circus. When they reached the circus, they saw several caravans, some areas where performers were practising, and an amusement area with rides and games. 

As they walked through, a pleasant-looking lady in a glittering dress with Poké Balls around her waist approach them. 

"May I help you?" she asked politely. 

"Hi, my name's Ash. Mr Grey--I mean, Mr Monmaster--wanted to see my friend Misty here." 

"Nice to meet you, Ash. You too, Misty. I'll see if I can find him for you. You can wait here and watch the practice if you like." 

"Thanks," said Misty. 

A few moments later, Mr Grey appeared, thanked the lady, who went to resume her work, and invited Ash and Misty over to his caravan. 

"Ash, I'm very grateful for this opportunity. And, I believe your Misty, my dear. I can see Ash has good taste in friends." 

"Why, thank you, Mr Grey," replied Misty. "Ash said that you were interested in introducing water Pokémon to your circus." 

"Yes, there's always room for something new in the circus," replied Mr Grey. "We have to keep that element of novelty." 

Ash looked at Pikachu. "Looks like they're going to talk shop, Pikachu." 

Mr Grey turned to Ash and Pikachu. "I'm sorry this might be a bit boring for you two. I won't mind if you go and have a look around. Have a look at the practising performers, Ash. I bet you'll learn a thing or two about Pokémon training." 

"Thanks, Mr Grey," Ash said politely. "C'mon Pikachu, let's have a look around." Ash realised that this was an opportunity to try and find something out. As soon as they were out of Mr Grey's earshot, Ash bent down and told Pikachu, "Have a look around and see if Raichu's here." A Pokémon snooping around, Ash thought, would be less conspicuous than a sixteen-year-old. 

As he walked around, Ash saw the lady in the glittering dress. Three of her Poké Balls were in her hands now, and she started to juggle of them. As the balls were flying in the air, one by one they released a Butterfree. Each of the first two Butterfree floated in mid-air until the full trio had appeared. Then, as the lady continued to juggle, the Butterfree began to fly around in a circle, first in the same direction has the Poké Balls, then in the other direction. Finally, they performed an elegant pirouette, and, one by one, they re-entered their Poké Balls. It was an amazing spectacle that left Ash open-mouthed. 

The lady turned to Ash and said, "I see you like my act. Come along to the circus and you'll see lots of fine acts like this one." 

Ash nodded and walked on. Further on he saw a man with a Charmander and a Charmeleon. These lizard-like, fire-breathing Pokémon each had a flame on the end of its tail. The Charmeleon was the larger of the two, being the evolved a form of a Charmander. The man held a hoop in the air, while the Charmander was jumping through, first one way, and back again. 

"That's good, Charm," Ash heard the man say to his Charmander. "Now, Flarey, it's your turn." 

Flarey the Charmeleon stood on its back legs, primed itself, and opened its mouth. A short burst of flame issue from its mouth and formed a circle of fire in the air. The circle floated for a second or two, and then dissipated. 

"That's great," encouraged the man. "OK, now both together." 

Charm the Charmander crouched back, ready to jump. Flarey sent out another fire ring, but the last moment, Charm lost his nerve and failed to jump. 

Further away, Ash noticed the poacher walk into a caravan. Ash really want to see how the training would proceed, but he had to put first things first. As inconspicuously as possible, he walked up to the man's caravan, and stopped, pretending to attend to his shoelace. The name "Brent" was written on the caravan door. He noticed the man's voice, sounding like one side of a conversation. 

"...Yeah, I've got a Graveler, but there's two buyers still bidding for that one... No, the Vaporeon in the Poké Ball's for Viridian Gym--but make sure you make that look legal. You know how fussy they are. And I've got a buyer for the Raichu... She can be shipped tonight. Make arrangements for transport from Vermilion to the Orange Zoo... That's right, I'll give her to you at eleven after tonight's show. You know where." 

The man hung up. Ash dashed around the corner of the caravan, and turned back pretending to call for Pikachu. As he saw the man already out of the caravan, Ash asked him, "Hey mister, have you seen my Pikachu?" 

The man recognized Ash and eyed him suspiciously. "You can't even look after your _own_ Pokémon and you criticize _us_. Get lost, kid." 

Ash was genuinely offended, but gritted his teeth and controlled his tongue. He didn't want to risk further suspicion. He continued calling for Pikachu, who heard and ran up to him. 

When he was far enough from the poacher, Ash asked Pikachu, "Any sign?" 

Pikachu shook his head sadly. Ash looked worried. "How we going to find her?" he wondered anxiously to himself. By tomorrow morning, she'd probably been on her way to the Orange Islands. The poacher didn't even say where he was hiding her. 

Ash and Pikachu walked solemnly back to the circus master's caravan. Misty and Mr Grey seemed to have finished their conversation. 

"Misty, my dear, I can't thank you enough for your advice and all your kind offers of assistance. When we pass through Cerulean City, I must take the time to catch some of your performances." 

"Mr Grey," said Ash, "those performers of yours were great." 

"Ah, Ash, you're back. Thank you ever so much for this opportunity. Here, I'll give you both tickets to an evening session. We're here for another five days." 

"Thanks," came the synchronous reply. 

"Oh, if either of you have someone nice you'd like to bring along..." 

Mr Grey noticed Misty's eyes flick involuntarily to Ash and back. 

"Urr... you mean Pikachu?" asked Ash innocently. "Can he come along?" 

Mr Grey looked at Misty understandlingly. "That's all right, Ash. Pokémon can come and watch for free." 

"By the way, Mr Grey," ventured Ash, "where do you get all those great Pokémon from?" 

"Well, Ash, some of us caught Pokémon in our younger days, just like you. We also buy them from reputable sources. Mr Brent is the man who knows the market better than I do, so I leave the dealings in his capable hands." He added jokingly, "Why, are you interested in selling us some?" 

"Uh, no, just wondering that's all," Ash replied. "Anyway, we better get going." 

After they said their good-byes and left the park, Ash and Misty stopped to talk. 

"Did you find out anything?" asked Misty. 

"Sure did, but it's not enought." Ash explained all he knew to Misty. "So we know he's going to hand Raichu over to someone after tonight's show, but we don't know where." 

"I don't know what to do, Ash," admitted Misty. She gave a helpless sigh. 

"We're going to have to hang around the circus until we see him leave, then follow him. It's the only way." 

"Even then, Ash, how do we rescue Raichu?" 

"Hmm..." Ash put his hand on his chin and thought hard. "We've got to take advantage of what we're good at, Misty. We use our Pokémon." 

"It doesn't sound foolproof to me, Ash." 

"Yeah, I know. But we've got to try. Raichu's depending on us. And so is Pikachu." 

"I think we're going to have to get the police," spoke Misty firmly. "If they don't catch this guy, he'll only keep doing it. And these people are probably dangerous." 

"Tell you what, Misty. We find out where Raichu is first, then we call the police. And if we don't find her, we call them anyway. Is that OK?" 

"Well..." Misty looked resigned, and sighed again. There were times when Ash wouldn't listen to reason. At least they had reached a compromise. "OK, Ash." 

"C'mon Misty, let's go to my place. I'm getting hungry." 

At home, Ash called Viridian Pokémon Centre and asked the nurse to fax him a copy of the wanted poster. His excuse was that he could show it to others around Pallet Town. It wasn't a lie, well not exactly: he showed it to his other Pokémon. 

Famished after a long day on the road, they had dinner. Then the two sat down and made their plans for the night. 

_© Raichu (raichufan2001@yahoo.com.au) 2002_


	5. Tim

_How will Ash's plan turn out? Will he succeed, or get himself into even more trouble? Read on to find out._

**Goodbye, Raichu**

**Chapter Five -- Tim**

That night, at ten o'clock, Ash, Misty and Pikachu approached Pallet Park. Ash and Misty were both dressed in some of Ash's dark-coloured clothes, and Ash had a Spearow perched on his shoulder. 

"Good," said Ash, "the show's not over yet. Pikachu, you hide in a tree on that side of the park." 

"Pika pi!" agreed Pikachu and ran to hide. 

"Misty, if you go hide over that side, I can hide in this tree here. Spearow and I can see both of you and keep a look out for the poacher." 

"OK," said Misty and went off. 

Ash heard the sound of applause from the Poké Ball-shaped dome. He hurried up the tree. Soon the crowd came out and began to spread through the park. Ash looked intently for any sign of the poacher, but it was difficult to identify anyone in the moving crowd. 

Ash continued to look. He glanced to the right to where Pikachu was hiding. He could make out his cute yellow form, which he had come to know so well over the last six years. Pikachu wasn't as sullen as yesterday, but he sure was more anxious. Could Ash rely on him not to slip up? Ash guessed that he could, since Pikachu knew that this was his only hope of saving his new friend. Neither Pikachu nor Ash had any choice but to rely on each other now as they had always done in the past. 

Ash looked to the left to try to see Misty. He couldn't make her out in the dark clothing she was wearing, but that was a good thing in itself. 

The crowd of spectators was thinning now. There was Gary with another girl. How many girlfriends can a guy have at the same time, anyway? Ash couldn't hear their conversation, but it was clearly dominated by Gary, and his movements and gestures sure made it look like he was bragging about something again. 

All of a sudden, Ash heard a sound at his feet. It made him start and almost lost his foothold. "Meow," went a voice. Ash looked down and saw a Persian looking up at him. 

"Hey, Persian, what's up?" called a familiar voice from among the dispersing crowd. 

Ash frowned. "So much for trying to hide," he muttered. 

Tim ran up to Persian and looked up the tree. "Hey Ash, what on earth are you doing up there?" 

"Thanks for blowing my cover, Tim!" said Ash with obvious annoyance. Ash came down, as he realized that it would draw less attention if two kids were seen talking on ground level rather than half-way up a tree. 

Ash figured it would take less time to explain the situation than to try and get rid of Tim, and he didn't want to hurt his friend in any way. So Ash took his copy of the poster out of his pocket and explained what he was doing. 

"Can I help?" asked Tim eagerly. 

"Uh, I don't know, Tim. You better go home," urged Ash. 

"You could use someone else to help you keep a lookout." 

"I guess we could, but I think these guys might be dangerous." 

"I've got Persian with me. And I'll be all right with you, won't I Ash?" 

Ash felt flattered, the way Tim looked up to him, but, hard as it was for him, this time he had to be objective. 

"Look, Tim. We could use your help to keep watch, but once we've seen him, you've got to go home." 

"OK, Ash," said Tim. 

When the park had cleared, Ash went back up his tree. Tim and Persian went to hide somewhere else. The sounds from the circus lessened as the time passed, and lights here and there gradually went out. 

"It must be nearly eleven," Ash thought. "Where is he?" 

Spearow flapped his wings. Ash looked around. It was Misty in the distance, waving her arm in the tree. 

"Spearow, go and get Pikachu," ordered Ash softly. 

In a few moments, Ash, Misty, Spearow and Pikachu were together. 

"He went that way," whispered Misty, pointing. 

"OK, quick, before we lose him," said Ash. "Spearow, you go and follow him." 

"No!" came a loud whisper from behind. It was Tim, who took one of his Poké Balls and let out a Zubat. 

"Ash, Batty's darker, he can see better at night, and he flies quieter," said Tim. 

Ash and Misty exchanged glances. They had to agree. The group proceeded down the street as quietly as they could. When they saw the poacher from behind, Tim ordered his Zubat: 

"Batty, follow that man and let us know where he's going. And don't let him notice you." 

The Zubat flew off to follow Brent, and the group followed the Zubat. They continued in this way for several minutes, the Zubat flying backwards and forwards, guiding them along. Around a corner they could see Brent waiting outside a darkened building. Tim recalled his Zubat back into its Poké Ball. 

"OK," whispered Misty, "we've found it. Let's go get the police." 

"You and Tim go," said Ash. "I better keep watch." 

"Well keep out of sight," advised Misty, and left, keeping in the shadows. 

"Tim, you go with her," commanded Ash. "It's too dangerous here." 

Tim reluctantly agreed to obey. He signalled to Persian and they began to follow Misty, but the lights and sound of an approaching vehicle startled him. Not wanting to be seen, Tim and Persian ran back to Ash and crouched low. 

The same open utility truck that Ash and Misty had seen in the woods stopped on the road next to Brent. Without exchanging words, Brent opened a roller door, while two other men came out of the truck's cabin. The three entered the building and moments later came out, one of them driving a fork lift. What looked like Raichu's cage was being driven out towards the truck. 

"Oh no, Misty'll be too late," whispered Ash anxiously. 

"Chuu!" echoed Pikachu with a worried tone. 

"Can't we do anything, Ash?" asked Tim. 

"We've got to do something quick," said Ash. 

Raichu's cage was almost loaded onto the back of the truck. 

"When I give the signal," said Ash, "send Persian to attack the poacher. My Pokémon'll get the other two. We've got to overpower them, or stall them until we get the cage away." 

"OK, Ash. I'm ready," announced Tim, with confidence in his older friend. 

"Pikachu, Spearow, tackle them," Ash commanded. 

"Go, Persian," ordered Tim in the same commanding tone. 

The three Pokémon speedily advanced towards their targets. Persian pounced towards Brent, Pikachu towards a second man, Spearow towards the third. Ash threw another Poké Ball and out of it materialized Charizard. Charizard was a six-foot high, fire-breathing reptilian with strong limbs and powerful wings. 

"Go, Charizard!" called Ash. "Bring me the cage off that truck." 

Pikachu ran with all his speed, struck his target with all his might, and knocked him over. Spearow attacked the other man with his powerful beak and claws. Charizard flew over and grabbed Raichu's cage. 

Meanwhile, Persian slammed into Brent, knocking him off his feet and pushing metres along the footpath. The powerful Pokémon primed itself for another attack. But Brent was scarcely winded. Pulling out a knife, he cautiously got to his feet and slowly advanced towards Persian. Persian took aim, pounced again, and passed just out of Brent's reach. As Persian took a moment to turn around and regain his stance, Brent seized his chance and lunged with the knife. 

"No!" shouted Tim, running towards his Poké friend. 

"Come back!" called Ash, but to no avail. 

Persian jumped back out of Brent's reach, but ended up several metres away from Tim. Brent saw his opportunity, tackled the young boy, and pulled him up with his left arm around his neck. Putting his knife at the boy's head, he shouted: 

"Call back your pets, or I'll kill the boy." 

The fighting instantly stopped, all eyes fixed on Brent. 

"I mean it, kid," he shouted to Ash. "No tricks." 

Ash resignedly took out two Poké Balls and recalled Charizard and Spearow. 

"The other two," yelled Brent, touching the side of the boy's head with the sharp blade. Tim started shaking in terror. Ash felt sick. 

"They don't have Poké Balls," said Ash firmly, his hands by his side. 

"I said no tricks, and I mean it," he menaced. 

"N-no, i-it's true," uttered Tim, not knowing how he managed to do it. 

"OK, kid. You and the other two go for a walk down the road. Don't look back or you won't see the boy again." Brent turned to the other men, who were nursing their wounds. "Get up and get the cage back on." 

The men did as they were told. Ash and Pikachu reluctantly obeyed. Persian growled as he walked past Brent, looking at him menacingly. But a threatening motion from Brent towards his captive made even the boy's lifelong protector obey this beast of a man. 

With Raichu on the truck, the two men jumped into the cabin, while Brent forced Tim to get onto the back of the vehicle with him. 

"Sit down," ordered the man to Tim, who, still shaking from the ordeal, cowered in a corner. Brent knocked on the back window twice to indicate that he was ready, and the truck took off. 

_© Raichu (raichufan2001@yahoo.com.au) 2002_


	6. The Rescue

**Goodbye, Raichu**

**Chapter Six -- The Rescue**

As soon as Ash heard the truck take off, he turned around and ran back towards it. 

"C'mon, Pikachu, Persian. Let's go." 

Tossing a Poké Ball, he let out Charizard. "Charizard, give us a lift." 

Charizard flew up, back and around, matching Ash's speed. Ash and Pikachu jumped on its back and gripped firmly. 

"Persian, can you keep up?" 

Persian nodded to Ash, and ran ahead. 

The team followed the truck to the outskirts of the small town and onto the road to Vermilion City. Unexpectedly, it seemed that it was slowing down. Charizard flew higher for a better view. There was something on the road further ahead. As they flew closer, Ash realized that it was a police road block. Misty must've come through. 

As the utility came to a stop, Brent grabbed Tim, stood up, and put a knife at the boy's throat in full view of the police. 

Brent wasted no time. "Clear the road in one minute or the boy's had it," he yelled. 

A girl behind the police cars shouted, "Oh no, he's got Tim." 

It was Misty. One police officer took her off the road. Others got into their cars, ready to meet the man's demands if they found no way to release the hostage. 

"Release the boy, give yourselves up!" came a police officer's voice from a loudspeaker. "You can't escape." 

"Thiry seconds!" shouted Brent, ignoring all attempts at negotiation. 

The police acknowledged that there was nothing they could do. They cleared the road. 

In the meantime, Persian had reached the stationary vehicle and jumped aboard, growling at Brent. Brent turned around, still holding Tim. He saw Persian. He realized that that this Pokémon would not necessarily obey the police. But he still had the upper hand. The boy was in his power, and even the boy's Pokémon wouldn't risk allowing Brent to hurt him. 

As soon as the road cleared, the driver rammed the accelerator. Brent, who was standing, lost his balance as the vehicle lurched forward. Persian seized the chance, leapt, and bit Brent's hand that was holding the knife, forcing him to drop it. The three toppled over onto the floor of the truck. 

As the vehicle continued to accelerate, Tim managed to get up on his knees and crawled behind Raichu's cage. Persian jumped on top of the cage, standing between the man and the boy. Brent picked up the knife again and advanced. 

Suddenly, the sky cracked with a blinding flash. A lightning bolt descended, striking Brent and knocking him down unconscious. Tim looked up. Pikachu! With Ash on Charizard's back. 

Charizard descended, slowed, let its passengers alight. Then it flew over the truck, grabbing it with his powerful limbs. As it flapped its wings, the car slowed, halted, until the wheels screeched and started to smoke. The two men in the cabin jumped out and darted in opposite directions. In an instant, Persian sprung and knocked down one man. A thunderbolt from Pikachu felled the other. The ordeal was over. 

(-o-)

"I'm sorry I wasn't as brave as you, Ash," said Tim. "I was really scared of that guy." 

"You did well, Tim," said Ash. 

"That's enough now," a police officer interrupted. "Come with me, Tim. Your parents have arrived to take you home." 

Another officer turned to Ash. "That was very foolish of you, young man, not informing us as soon as you suspected something. Not only could the poacher've gotten away, but you put a boy's life in danger." 

Ash looked down. He couldn't argue. He had followed his heart, like he always did, and he knew that he had a good heart. Where did he go wrong? 

"I was only caring about Pikachu," he finally ventured, daring to look up. 

"Misty told us why you tried to solve the matter yourself, and I appreciate that your motives were honourable. But Ash, you have to think of _all_ the consequences of your actions." 

"So what's going to happen with Raichu?" Ash asked. 

"We'll have a Pokémon nurse come over and check it out in the morning, and then we'll release it back in the wild. Do you know where it lives?" 

"In the woods outside Pallet Town, near the road to Viridian City." 

"Thanks, Ash. Now you realize it's nearly two o'clock. We better take you home." 

"Please," pleaded Ash, "can we come with you when you set Raichu free?" 

The police officer looked at Ash. She was genuinely angry at him for getting Tim into so much danger. But she also thought of his loyalty to his Pikachu. It seemed unfair to punish a Pokémon for its trainer's mistake. 

"OK, Ash. I'll call you tomorrow when we're ready to go. Now get in the car. I'll take you and Pikachu home." 

_© Raichu (raichufan2001@yahoo.com.au) 2002_


	7. Goodbye Raichu

**Goodbye, Raichu**

**Chapter Seven -- Goodbye, Raichu**

The next day was warm, sunny and pleasant. The sky was blue and Spearow were crowing in the distance. 

Ash slept heavily after his ordeal. In the morning he phoned Tim's parents and apologized for the trouble he had caused. Needless to say, Tim's account had put the blame on himself for not heeding Ash's warning, so Tim's parents accepted Ash's apology without hesitation. Misty, whom Mrs Ketchum had put up for the night, was not unimpressed that Ash had at least tried to make amends. 

They were in a jeep now, Misty and a Pokémon nurse at the front, and Ash, Pikachu and Raichu at the back. Ash and Mitsy were mostly quiet, mulling over yesterday's adventures. A lot had happened. Still, Ash's spirits were high, with a happy ending in sight. After Raichu was back at her home, Ash planned to go with Misty to the Cerulean Gym so they could finally get around to talking about his job there as a gym leader. 

Pikachu and Raichu, on the other hand, were busy chattering away happily. "Pika pi!", "Rai, rai!" and "Chu, chu!" went back and forth with different intonations, gestures and expressions. Raichu had obviously come to realize that not all people were dangerous. Some could even be friends. 

As they neared the woods, Misty gave directions, and the jeep carefully turned off the road, and proceeded across the field toward Raichu's home. Soon the vehicle stopped, and all the occupants alighted. 

"I can wait a few minutes while you say goodbye," said the nurse, "but I've got to be going back soon." 

"It's OK," siad Ash. "Misty and I were planning to walk on to Cerulean City." 

"Well OK, if that's what you want to do. If you're sure then, I'd better be off." 

"Goodbye, and thanks for your help," said Misty. 

Pikachu and Raichu held paws and walked on ahead. Misty and Ash followed behind. As Misty saw the pair together in front, she sighed. She dared to slow her pace just a little, so that after a few steps, she could see Ash walk in front of her. She looked him up and down a few times. She admired his form, the way he walked, so confidently, so full of enthusiasm in life and all it had to offer. 

Pikachu and Raichu stopped in front of a group of trees that were growing together. Raichu stopped among the trees and started to dig. 

"Must be its home," said Misty. 

"I wonder what it's looking for," remarked Ash. 

Meanwhile, Pikachu returned to Ash, hugged his legs and rubbed his head affectionately against him. 

"What's the matter, Pikachu?" asked Ash, looking down at his closest companion. 

Pikachu looked up at Ash, with a sad expression on his face. It was the saddest look that Ash had ever seen on Pikachu. Ash crouched down to Pikachu's level and held him gently between his hands. 

"What's wrong?" he asked. Ash was starting to get worried. What could be the matter this time? 

"Raichu!" said Raichu, and everyone turned to see her. Raichu had returned, holding something between her paws. It looked like a piece of rock, irregularly shaped, translucent and glittering on the inside. It looked inert in Raichu's paws, but somehow still suggested some latent power. 

"What's that?" said Ash, now quite confused. 

"I'm not sure, Ash. I think I've seen something like that before," replied Misty. 

Suddenly, Ash was overcome by a sinking feeling. Thoughts raced through his head: Pikachu... Raichu... a stone. 

"A Thunderstone!" exclaimed Ash and Misty, almost simultaneously. 

"Pikachu, you want to become a Raichu?" asked Ash. 

Pikachu nodded silently. The poor thing seemed so overcome with emotion, it was difficult for him to talk. 

"Oh, I think I see," said Misty. "Do you want to evolve and stay here with Raichu?" 

Pikachu's eyes welled with tears, and nodded. But he wouldn't leave Ash's side. He rubbed his head against Ash again, and pointed to Raichu. 

Ash was speechless. He was all choked up. Why would Pikachu want to leave him for some wild Pokémon? He felt the world crumble around him, as if all his hopes and dreams would be destroyed if he lost Pikachu. Was Pikachu unhappy with him? 

"Ash, I think Pikachu has found a mate," said Misty. 

"Pikachu," Ash finally managed to sob, "is that true?" 

"Kachu," said the little Pokémon weakly, nodding. 

"Don't you like me anymore?" 

"Pika!" he shouted to deny such a horrible thought, and grabbed Ash's legs affectionately. 

"Well if you want to go, why are you staying next to me?" asked Ash. 

"Don't you understand?" replied Misty. "Pikachu is still loyal to you. You're his master. He won't leave you unless you let him." 

"Is that right, Pikachu?" Ash asked. 

"Pika_chu_!" came a firm reply. 

"So then it's up to me to decide," said Ash. "Oh, why do I always have to make the hard decisions!" 

Ash realized that Pikachu was not unhappy with him after all. It was just time for things to change. But why must change be so difficult, so permanent? Ash recalled the time he first met Pikachu, and all the trouble he had to earn his first Pokémon's respect. Since then, however, Pikachu had done so much for Ash. Without him, he would never had been able to earn badges, enter the Pokémon League competitions and catch so many other Pokémon. Pikachu had stuck with Ash through easy times and hard, through battles and struggles. If Pikachu was still loyal to Ash, Ash had to be loyal to Pikachu. "I have to do what's best for Pikachu," he thought. 

"Pikachu, I want you to be happy," Ash finally managed to say aloud. "If you'll really be happy evolving and staying with Raichu, then I won't stand in your way." 

"That's very brave of you, Ash," said Misty with a sniffle. 

Pikachu and Ash gave each other one final, long, tight embrace. Then Pikachu walked over to Raichu and took the Thunderstone. 

As the others looked on, the Thunderstone began to glow, lightly at first, then more strongly. Suddenly, it burst into a blaze of light that enveloped the electric mouse. Inside the brilliance they could make out Pikachu's shape. He grew larger, his tail longer, his ears more elegant. Gradually the glow ebbed and finally faded, leaving Ash and Misty openmouthed at the stately form of a newly evolved Raichu. 

"Raichu!" said the new Raichu smiling, obviously proud of his new appearance, and all the increased strength and power that came with it. 

The group of four slowly and silently walked to the edge of the woods, then onto the field. They stopped, and Ash and his former companion looked at each other. 

"Well, I guess this is goodbye," said Ash, choking up again. 

"Raichu," said the newly evolved Raichu, tears in his eyes. 

"Goodbye, friend," replied Ash. 

Quietly, Misty and Ash saw the two Raichu turn around and walk back into the woods, the female comforting her new companion for the loss that the Pokémon itself would be experiencing. They saw them disappear into the trees. Ash finally said: 

"Goodbye, Raichu." 

_© Raichu (raichufan2001@yahoo.com.au) 2002_


	8. Epilogue

**Goodbye, Raichu**

**Epilogue**

Ash slowly sat down on the grass, bent his head low, and put his hand over his face. "I wonder if I'll ever see Pika -- I mean Raichu -- again," he muttered. 

Misty's face was concerned, looking at how hard Ash was taking the loss. "I'm sure he'll come to visit, once they've settled down. I bet you'll even get to see his children." 

Ash imagined a litter of little yellow Pichu scampering about, tried to smile at the thought, but found he could not. He looked up at Misty, and dared to reveal his feelings. 

"But Misty, it hurts so much. How will I ever cope without him?" 

Misty crouched down next to him and took his hand comfortingly. "You know, Ash, I think it'll hurt for a while. You've always got your friends and your other Pokémon you can lean on. We all care how you feel." 

Ash was taking in Misty's words. They made sense. 

"And you'll always remember all the great times you had together," continued Misty. They'll always be a part of both of you." 

Strange... when things were going well, Misty's advice had always sounded so ridiculous. Why did it sound so helpful now? But Ash could not afford to dwell on that now. 

Misty then stood up without letting go of Ash's hand. Gripping it a little more tightly, and tugging gently, she asked him, "How about going for a walk back to the gym. We can talk some more if you want." 

All of a sudden, Ash was filled with perplexity. "What!? You want to walk holding hands?" 

Misty didn't reply. She just looked at him hopefully. 

Her voice sounded warm and caring, Ash thought. It suddenly felt as if it had always been so. Why had they argued so much in the past? What's more, it felt as if her warmth now had a special relevance to him. 

Without letting go of her hand, Ash stood up, his uncertainty making room for a new awareness, a new source of confidence. 

"Sure, Misty. Let's go." 

They walked off together. 

"You know, Misty, if you give me a job, I'll finally be able to pay you back for that bike." 

They both smiled at each other. 

_That's my first story! I hope you liked it. I've had some positive feedback so far. If you think I can improve it in any way, please let me know._

_The story was inspired by the _2.B.A. Master_ music album. Of course _The Time Has Come (Pikachu's Goodbye)_ was the main source of inspiration. Can you spot elements of some of the other songs?_

_© Raichu (raichufan2001@yahoo.com.au) 2002_


End file.
